


Just Down the Road

by CBbumblebree



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Comfort/Angst, Drama, Eventual Smut, Falling In Love, Fluff, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Major Character Injury, Mutual Pining, Neighbors, Photographer Akaashi Keiji, Pining, Romance, Single Parents, Slow Burn, bokuto has abandonment issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-14 21:35:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28677507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CBbumblebree/pseuds/CBbumblebree
Summary: “Call me Keiji,” Akaashi insists. Bokuto blinks at him with a look of amazement shining in his big, amber eyes.“Okay... Keiji,” he breathes, his voice small. Akaashi can’t help but grin. His name sounds like a beautiful poem rolling off of the man's tongue.“Just like that,” Akaashi coos, feeling joy blossom in his heart.---A fic where Akaashi moves to a small, Alaskan town in an attempt to discover himself, but ends up finding the love of his life instead.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Shimizu Kiyoko/Tanaka Ryuunosuke
Comments: 4
Kudos: 12





	Just Down the Road

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!! I started writing this because I couldn't sleep and really really love BokuAka. I'm not sure how good this is going to be since this is the first fic I've written in years, but I hope you all enjoy it and stick around for the rest of it! Thanks!!

The second Akaashi’s old, beat up car from the 90’s begins sputtering, his heart drops.

He had been slowly plowing through the endless curtain of Alaskan snow for nearly two hours, only able to see a few inches in front of his headlights before his car decided to die. It seems to cough and jitter, slowly coming to a stop by the side of the road.

“No no no _no_ ,” Akaashi gasps, growing both panicked and upset.

He’d gotten the car from a friend, and hadn’t complained. It was a good deal. But as the old car comes to a stop and refuses to start, Akaashi can’t help but silently curse his friend for giving him such a beat up vehicle.

Quickly putting the car in park, he unbuckles his seat belt and draws in a long, stressed breath, mentally preparing himself for the cold. Launching himself out into the snow, he quickly bolts to the hood of his car, not wanting to be outside any longer than he had to be. He shivers, yanking open the hood and peering inside. Through the snow pelting him, he can’t see anything wrong. There’s no smoke pouring from the engine, or oil spewing from some broken part. And that frustrates Akaashi.

He likes knowing what to do and when to do it. He likes having a plan, and having back up plans just in case the first one doesn’t work. He likes being prepared.

Right now, he was not prepared in the _slightest_.

But, trying not to let that bother him, he decides to run back to the driver’s side door and lock himself inside. There, he’d try to stay warm until the snow passed.

 _It’s fine_ , Akaashi thinks to himself. _It’s fine, I’ll pass soon, and then I’ll figure out what to do when I can see more than a foot in front of my face._

He grips the freezing door handle, yanking it upwards and pulling towards him. Except, it doesn’t open. Hesitating, he tries again. And again. And a fourth time. He pats down his dark coat, desperately trying to find his keys. Freezing, he realizes he’s left them in the car, sitting on the center console.

Of course, the only thing in the car that worked was the locks.

Usually, in times like this where his stress levels got exponentially high, Akaashi would yell into a pillow and feel better. Or, he’d think about his flaws and mistakes in stressed silence until he managed to scare the thoughts away with a glass of wine or a good cry. Most often, though, he’d take a deep breath and blow it off before regaining his cold, unbothered facade.

But that is not what he did. Not at all. Because he’s stuck in the middle of nowhere, it’s snowing, freezing cold, and he’s locked out of his broken down car.

So, naturally, he does what any sane person would do.

He lets out a yell, unable to keep his cool. Kicking the side of his car, he curses himself for being so stupid and letting himself be impulsive. He should’ve had common sense. He shouldn’t have been impulsive. He shouldn’t have left LA.

Just a week ago, he was happily looking over the city through his apartment window, sipping at a cocktail and enjoying the view. He had vaguely thought about driving to his favorite, secluded spot by the ocean for some landscape shots to spruce up his portfolio. There, he could’ve dipped his toes onto the warm, Californian water, and felt sea foam lap at his ankles. He would have felt the sun paint his face in golden light, and enjoyed the quiet sound of water and seagulls. Now, he was listening to his own screams of frustration and anger, unable to cope with his bad luck and the freezing snow that seemed to stick to every inch of his body.

After a moment, Akaashi’s chest heaves up and down. His anger begins to subside. Panting, he looks towards the road in front of his car. Surely he wasn’t far from his destination. He’d been driving for two hours, after all. Reasonably, even in the snow, he should be able to walk to where he was going in no time at all. He estimated it was only about a thirty minute walk, taking the weather into consideration. He’s sure he can make it to his new rental house in no time at all, and lock himself inside until the snow passed. Then, he’d call a tow truck in the morning to get his car, and everything would be OK.

Deciding it was his best option, he clutches his coat and begins to power through the piles of snow, desperately trying not to get knocked down by the vicious wind.

\---

He walks for what feels like years, his cheeks turning the colors of cherries and fingers growing numb. Snow sticks to his hair and coat as if it were covered in super glue, and the cold licks at his face and neck so harshly that it chills him to the bone. He’s freezing, and wonders if this was the worse-case scenario. It probably is.  
  
Despite suddenly convinced that he’d die alone in the cold, Akaashi sees a pair of headlights out of the corner of his eyes, making him turn over his shoulder.

His gaze catches on a truck plowing through the snow, slowly coming to a stop a few feet away. A man sticks his head out of the window, his eyes wide and startled.

“What are you _doing_ out here!” The man yells. Akaashi stares, dumbfounded. “You lost?”

All Akaashi can do is nod. The man gives him a very worried and confused expression.

“C- car broke down,” Akaashi sputtered, his fingers growing numb around the hems of his coat. The man nods to his car.

“Get in,” the man calls. “I’ll give you a ride to where you need to go, ok?”

Akaashi vividly remembers watching a documentary on Netflix a month ago. It was about a man who killed hitchhikers in Texas. But, this isn’t Texas. It’s Alaska, and Akaashi decided that the man would probably be too cold to kill him. Either way, it was either run the risk of being featured in a true crime podcast or turn into a human popsicle. And the first was sounding a lot better, considering how this man might have a working car heater. If he’d died, at least he’d be warm.

He quickly steps towards the car, making his way around to the passenger side door. He jumps inside, melting into the seat. His slightly wavy black hair sticks to his pale face, decorated with blush and frost. His fingers slowly begin to thaw out, still tightly gripping his coat. The man stares at him, but Akaashi doesn’t care. He’s out of the cold and that’s all the matters.

“How long were you out there?” The man asks, putting the truck back into drive. Akaashi doesn’t answer right away, enjoying the sudden heat.

“I don’t know,” he admits. “It felt like forever.”

The man laughs.

“A minute feels like hours out here,” He offers, a glean to his brilliant amber eyes.

Akaashi glances at him, finally able to get a good look at him. He’s only an inch or two taller than Akaashi himself, but looked a lot stronger. He has a warm looking chest donned in a worn, dark blue coat, with a light brown sweater underneath. His face is OK, as he has a strong jaw, and large, amber eyes that are fixated on the road. A mess of spiked, black and white hair sits atop his head. He seems kind and bursting with life.

“Where are you going?” The man asks, his gaze quickly catching on the man in his passenger seat before turning back to the icy road. Akaashi had never seen eyes quite like his before and is quietly intrigued.

“Uh- 634… Rockwell?” Akaashi manages, his voice a little hesitant. Had he remembered the address right?

“63… 63…” the mystery man with amber eyes hums to himself, his thick eyebrows creasing together as he thinks. His face seems to scrunch up a tiny bit, as if he was concentrating so hard it hurt. But, suddenly, a light switch is flipped inside his head, and his eyes grow wide. A giant smile paints his lips, and an aura of excitement seems to leap off his skin. “Oh! You’re moving into Konoha’s shack?”

Akaashi wants to cringe.

Shack? Was it that worn down? His friend had promised his old family cabin was livable, and the pictures made the house look decent. Maybe _livable_ was the key word, and meant the same as the bare minimum.

“Yes,” Akaashi admits. “He’s an old friend, and offered the house to me.”

The man never loses his brilliant grin. Akaashi wishes he had sunglasses, as it truly is a radiant smile.

“Do you hear that, Sho?” The man exclaims, reaching into the back to hit someone. He glances into the back seat, very quickly before turning back to the road. Akaashi, surprised, turns his gaze to see a very young boy sitting in the back seat with a small tablet between his hands. He’s zoned out, his big brown eyes focused on the video playing quietly. A mop of bright ginger hair springs from his head in every direction, growing very wildly. He looks up at the man as he gently hits his leg, and his eyes slide back and forth between the man and Akaashi. “We’re getting a new neighbor!”

The boy’s expression grows very excited and joyful, much like the man in the driver’s seat.

“Really?” The boy cries.

“Yup!” The man exclaims. Akaashi turns back to him. “We live right next to Konoha’s place, just down the road!”

Akaashi’s eyes widened slightly.

“Oh,” he breathes.

“I can’t believe he actually found someone to live there!” The man goes on. “We used to go drinking every Saturday when he was in town, and he’d always tell me how he hated finding renters for that place. It’s out in the middle of nowhere, it’s a little house. But good for him!”

The man goes on about how he and Konoha were friends as well, and how they were drinking buddies. He tells Akaashi about several incidents where they almost got into bar fights, nearly drove off a cliff while driving during a snowstorm, and drank more beer than humanly possible. He ends up talking the entire ride, which only seems to last about fifteen. When they finally pull into a house that Akaashi recognizes from photos, the man pulls into the driveway and parks.

“Here you go!” He announces. “Home sweet home!”

“Thank you for the ride,” Akaashi breathes, more than greatful. “I can’t thank you enough.”

“Of course!” The man exclaims, smiling. Akaashi turns to open the door, but the man stops him with his words.

“Hey, since we’re neighbors now,” The man begins, his eyes wide, “Can I get your name?”

Akaashi blinks, a little hesitant. But, after all, it’s the least he can do for the ride.

“It’s Akaashi Keiji,” he offers. The man’s smile widens, and he looks very happy, as if the name itself was like music to his ears.

“I like it,” he hums. “I guess you want my name too since we'll be seeing each other around- I’m Bokuto Koutarou, but you can call me Bokuto.”

He nods to the little boy in the backseat, currently focused on his tablet.

“And this bundle of energy is my son, Shoyo,” the man, Bokuto, announces proudly.

“Alright, Bokuto-san,” Akashi offers. “Thank you very much for the ride. It was a pleasure to meet both of you.”

The man beams, “It’s good to meet you too!”

Before Akaashi can open the door, the amber eyed man begins to talk again.

“If you need anything, don’t be shy!” Bokuto announces happily. “We live just up the road, ok?”

“Ok, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi sighs. “I’ll be sure to keep in touch.”

“Ok, good!” Bokuto exclaims. “Try to get warm, ok? And have a good night!”

“You as well,” Akaashi breathes, opening the car door. “Have a good night.”

“We’ll try!” Bokuto grins. Akaashi closes the door on him, positively exhausted.

He rushes towards the house, very much thankful for the ride but noting that his new neighbor and savior is a loud and excitable man who was bad at ending conversations. He’s nice, yes, but seems to hold all the energy in the world. He is very much unlike Akaashi, who simply wants to lay in bed and sleep for the next forty years after such an exhausting day of misfortune.

Akaashi quickly steps up to the door, patting down the front mat for the extra key. Finding it quickly, and thankful for the spare, he unlocks the door and escapes inside. He presses his back against the creaky oak door, letting out a thick sigh. He steadies his breathing, allowing himself to close his eyes and melt to the floor. Slinging his arms around his legs, he buries his face in his knees, and lets himself arrive in the moment.

He’s in Alaska, alone in his new rental house. It’s snowing outside. The house feels cold. His fingers are tingly from thawing out in Bokuto’s truck. His coat and pants are wet with melted snow. His head is dealing with his recent bad luck. The emptiness he thought he left in LA still floods his chest.

Deciding not to dwell on the last bit, Akaashi decides to look up at the house around him. As he feared, it was the bare minimum.

The layout is simple, and the house came furnished, as it was used as his friend’s family cabin. There’s only one bedroom on one side of the house, with a full sized bed, closet, and dresser. Next to the bedroom is a single, small bathroom with a toilet, sink, and tub/shower hybrid. A little dining area is e the kitchen, with a little, circular table and four chairs. The kitchen seems a little cramped, but has the required appliances to cook, as well as slightly chipped, light green cabinets and tan counter tops.

 _It’s quaint_ , Akaashi thinks. _But maybe quaint is what I need._

He pulls himself up, he peels off his coat and hangs it by the door. He feels chilly, but decides to look for the thermostat later. Stepping into the front room and reaching for the nearest light switch, he begins to think fondly of sleep and a warm bed. Though, his thoughts are interrupted by complete darkness, even as his fingers move the light switch.

Startled, Akaashi flicks the switch several more times before letting out a sigh.

 _The power must be out due to the snow,_ he thinks.

Knowing he has no experience with electricity or breakers, he decides to leave it and add it to his mounting list of things to do in the morning.

He squints, trying to make his way through the house in the dark, trying not to trip and fall over furniture. Peering into the kitchen and searching the living room, he finally finds the thermostat by in the little dining area. He peers at it, trying to read what it says in the darkness. It isn’t until he sees that it’s turned all the way up that he realizes it’s probably busted. His worries are confirmed as he presses his fingers against it, and the panel falls off, leaving wires and bolts. 

It’s broken. 

His chest tightens.

Really? Does the universe hate him or something?

He could deal with the power being out, but no heat would be too much. He grew up in California, after all. He knows for a fact he isn’t use to the dark or the cold.

Quickly, an idea pops into his head. He hesitates, not wanting to be a bother, but also knowing he needs help and some warmth. So, he decides to put his coat back on and face the cold. The words, _just down the road_ , repeats in his head. He could do that. Just down the road was easy.

\---

Easy his _ass_.

Akaashi walked for what felt like three days before he could see the faint light of a house in the distance. The entire time, he begged his body to hold against the violent snow and icy, never once seeing car of another living being. He thought he’d die alone in the cold, and was thanking whatever god was up there when he stepped onto a creaky wooden porch. He could barely knock at the door, as his hands were so numb and frozen he could hardly feel them. By some miracle, someone heard him and came to the door.

The second Bokuto’s eyes catch on Akaashi’s freezing figure, his expression drops and shifts to one of pure horror.

“M-m-my p-power’s o-out,” Akaashi manages, shivering. He doesn’t have the chance to say anything else as the man yanks him inside in an instant.

“Are you _crazy?_ ” Bokuto cries, seemingly beyond worried. “You’re _freezing_ , Aka-shi!”

“A-Akaashi,” The black haired man corrects him as Bokuto firmly places him on a couch in front of a lit stone fireplace.

The second he sits down, Akaashi feels Bokuto strip away his coat. He then feels a thick quilt around him. Akaashi doesn’t protest, thankful for the warmth of the blanket and the fireplace. He closes his eyes and tries his best to stop shivering.

“You stay right there,” Bokuto demands. “I’m gonna go make you some hot chocolate. Get warm, ok?”

“Ok, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi manages, too exhausted to protest.

He closes his eyes, letting himself breathe and get warm. Burying himself in the blanket draped around him, he feels the heat eminating from the stone fireplace wash over him like a wave and feels more at peace than he had all day.

Akaashi isn’t able to relax for long, though, as he feels someone watching him.

Opening his eyes, he spots the little boy from earlier sitting beside him, staring at him with an unreadable expression.

“You’re not from around here, are you?” Shoyo asks, his brown eyes wide and focused on the strange man on his couch.

Akaashi looks at him, not knowing exactly what to say.

“How can you tell?” Akaashi asks. Shoyo stares.

“There’s a lot of things,” he hums, his eyes mirroring the amber fire.

Akaashi snorts. “I take it that almost freezing to death is one of them,” he shoots. Shoyo nods, unbothered.

“Yeah,” the little boy states. “And you don’t have gloves.”

Shoyo turns back to his coloring book, blissful and childlike.

“My daddy says if I don’t wear gloves outside when it’s snowing, my fingers will become icicles,” The boy hums. “And then when they get all warm again, they’ll melt off!”

“Oh,” Akaashi manages, wondering if his own fingers will melt off after warming up in front of the flames. “That’s… nice.”

Akaashi was an only child. He’d never been around little kids, either as brothers or nieces and nefews. They always seemed like a timebomb to him, constantly on a count down to their next tantrum or escape attempt. But, this one’s cute. Energetic, yes, but adorable to the point where Akaashi wants to pinch his cheeks and give him a peice of candy. Maybe it was his big, brown eyes, or his mop of curly hair. Either way, he decided not to completely ignore the kid, as he would any other.

“So how old are you Shoyo?”

“I’m six and a half!” Shoyo exclaims joyfully. Akaashi smiles gently.

“You’re pretty big, huh?” He hum, knowing he wouldn’t have guessed the right age. He was a small boy. Maybe too small for his age. The boy nods.

“Yeah!” Shoyo breathes. “One day, I’m gonna be as big as my daddy! He’s really big!”

Akaashi wonders if the boy really would grow that large. Bokuto seems like a very fit man. Would this little kid even get close to his size?

“He sure is,” Akaashi manages.

“Sho’s almost there, aren’t you bud?” Bokuto calls, stepping back into the room with two pairs of mugs.

Shoyo beams and nods.

“Yeah!” He gasps. “I’m almost there!”

He most definitely was not.

“Now you go finish your coloring book,” Bokuto tells Shoyo. “Leave Asahi alone so he can get warm.”

“Akaashi,” Akaashi sighs. Shoyo pouts.

“Why?” He argues.

“Because he can’t if he’s too busy talking to you,” Bokuto explains in a dramatic voice. “He’ll be so focused on what you’re saying that he’ll forget that he’s suppose to get warm! He’ll turn into a pile of snow!”

Shoyo’s jaw drops, and Akaashi watches as the little boy slaps his hands over his mouth. He jumps up and runs to the floor to where several more coloring books and boxes of crayons are laying.

Akaashi looks up at his neighbor.

“Here’s some hot cocoa,” Bokuto offers, handing Akaashi a warm mug. The cup seems to defrost his hands, and he’s thankful for the warmth.

“Thank you, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi breathes. Bokuto smiles a little nervously at him.

“You can drop the honorific,” he chuckles. “Just call me Bokuto.”

Akaashi’s eyebrows crease indignantly, his hands curling around the warm coffee cup placed between his palms.

“But I’ve only just met you,” he protests. A bright grin crosses the black and white haired man’s face.

“Yeah, but we’re next door neighbors, now!” He exclaims. “We’re gonna know each other really well soon!”

Akaashi watches the man, both thankful and regretful that this person was to be his neighbor. For one, he seems like a genuinely nice person, but he’s also extremely loud. And Akaashi wonders if he’d be able to handle him if he really was to know Bokuto well.

“I guess so,” The dark haired man sighs. “But I’ll still show you the respect you deserve. It’s only right, Bokuto-San.”

Bokuto stares at him with a blank, unreadable face for a moment. Then, he burst out laughing.

“Whatever you say, Ax-ashy,” Bokuto hums, his smile brighter than the flames burning in the fireplace.

“ _Akaashi_ ,” Akaashi corrects him, taking a drink of his hot chocolate. How many times was this man going to mispronounce his name?

“That’s what I said,” Bokuto states, his expression showing no hit of a joke. He leans forward, intrigued. “So you said your power’s out?”

Akaashi nods.

“The lights won’t turn on, and the heat’s not working,” He states. Bokuto nods.

“Ok,” he gasps. “We’ll was over there tomorrow to fix it. We’ve got to wait until all this snow passes, though, and I think it’ll only last until late tonight or early tomorrow morning.”

Akaashi blinks at him, hesitant.

“Ok…” he breathes.

“Until then, can stay here for the night,” Bokuto offers. Akaashi cringes.

“I don’t want to be a bother,” he breathes. Bokuto waves him away.

“You aren’t,” the black and white haired man reassures him. “I’m the one who asked anyway, right? So even if you were, which you _aren’t_ , I wouldn’t have the right to complain.”

Akaashi blinks, and sinks a little into the couch. “Ok,” he sighs reluctantly. He looks away from the man, his eyes fixating on the fire.

“As long as you’re sure.” Bokuto beams again.

“I’m sure!” He exclaims. “We don’t have a guest room, though, so I’ll sleep out here and you can take my bed.”

Akaashi’s eyes shoot open very wide, and he turns to Bokuto with a very suprised and startled look.

“No,” he breathes. “I’ll sleep out here.”

Bokuto’s nose scrunches up.

“It’s a very kind gesture,” Akaashi offers, “but I’d be a very disrespectful guest if I took your bed, Bokuto-san.”

“Not if I offered!” Bokuto protests. “You’re still cold so you need to warm up, and bed is the warmest in the house. I should know!”

“You’re very generous, but I’d prefer to sleep on the couch,” Akaashi states. “Besides, the fireplace is still lit. I’ll be very warm in front of the fire.”

Bokuto lets out a small sigh, looking dejected. Akaashi wonders if he pouts like this often.

“Okay,” Bokuto mutters. “If you insist… but I’m still gonna give you some of the blankets and pillows from my room!”

Akaashi stares, and eventually smiles softly. Does Bokuto care this much for every random stranger that shows up at his door? He suspects that the answer is yes.

“Alright, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi hums as his new neighbor jumps up.

“I’ll be right back with them,” Bokuto says. “You stay right here, ok- and finish your hot chocolate! I put too much love and effort into it for it to go to waste!”

Akaashi’s a little startled by his words, but grins. The image of the man putting extreme care into making a simple cup of hot chocolate brings a small smile to his face, because even though he’d just met the man, he knew it was a very big possibility that he did just that. The idea of a large, excitable man putting all of his energy and focus into a simple task was a little funny and intriguing to him at the least.

Bokuto came back in no time at all, offering Akaashi another thick blanket and two pillows before turning to see his son almost asleep on the floor, still trying to color. The little boy’s hands loosely holds crayons, his eyes fluttering shut for a few seconds before opening half way again. He still seems determined to finish his picture. The black and white haired man scoops him up in his arms.

“I think it’s time we get you in bed, Sho,” Bokuto hums.

The little boy leans against his chest.

“Not tired,” he protests, despite his eyes already being closed.

Bokuto chuckles quietly to himself, turning to Akaashi.

“I’m gonna put him in bed, and then I’ll be right back,” he offers. Akaashi nods, and the man carries his son off into another room.

The dark haired man watches him go. The instant Bokuto is gone, Akaashi feels the tiredness of the day pile upon him like the snow outside. Unable to keep his eyes open, he slowly falls asleep with his gaze plastered on the fire, with a quilt and blanket wrapped around him. The last thought he has before being enveloped in a well needed rest was _perhaps my luck has turned around._

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!! Just to clear some things up, Akaashi is a big city photographer from Los Angeles who made an impulsive move to Alaska. Bokuto’s a single father, and Hinata (Shoyo) is his son. Hope that makes things a little less confusing!  
> Also, I’ll update this as soon as I get the second chapter finished and edited.  
> This will probably end up being several chapters long, though I don’t know how many exactly. It’s slow burn, so probably quite a few!  
> Feedback is very greatly appreciated!  
> Thanks again for reading!!


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